


Read?

by GrrHatLet



Series: Dumbledore Drabbles [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Deutsch | German, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 04:25:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4905379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrrHatLet/pseuds/GrrHatLet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ariana brings back something precious from Gellert, much to the exasperation of her brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Read?

**Author's Note:**

> There's not really much romance in this one, just a cute little drabble. It's rare that a childhood AU decides to put itself into words, but I hope you enjoy. It was fun to write.

“…But from that day forward, the wizard helped the villagers like his father before him, lest the pot cast off its slipper, and begin to hop once more.” With those final words, Gellert sat the weathered copy of “Beedle the Bard” at their feet, looking at Ariana expectantly. “Now?”

Ariana’s only answer was to show him another book, green and tiny. “Read?”

Gellert sighed but took it in hand, settling back against the tree. As he began to speak, Ariana closed her eyes; she loved when Gellert would read; it was almost as nice as Mama telling stories at bedtime. His voice was clear like Al’s and strong like Abe’s. She found it very hard to find things to speak about, so when she would visit while her brothers were away, she would always make sure she brought something to read. One day she even brought him a dictionary! And still he read, as much as their visit would allow.

Ariana reluctantly hobbled up from the enormous tree roots when it was nearly time to go home (so said Gellert, for Gellert could already tell time). As they began packing their things, something small and yellow caught her eye. Curious, she waddled over to find it was another book. A small one with colorful drawings on the inside. Ariana smiled as she looked through the pages, only to gasp in surprise when Gellert was found next to her.

“Oma gave me that when I was 3. You can have it, if you like.”

Ariana was so happy she squished the book to her bosom tightly as 5-year-old arms would permit—and did the same to Gellert, with the poor, defenseless thing trapped between their stomachs. The boy smiled and patted her back with his free arm, when a sudden “pop!” alerted them to the arrival of her mother. With a final wave, Ariana took Mama’s hand as Gellert strode back inside the manor—the book tucked safely under her arm.  


* * *

 

   
When she got home, the first thing Ariana did was make sure Mama saw it right away. It was a present from Gellert and she wanted to read it immediately!

When Kendra Dumbledore skimmed the pages a strange look crossed her face, one Ariana had only seen when Al would try spellwork. But, eventually Mama smiled again and led her upstairs. After a bath, a nightgown and a horrid comb through her hair, Ariana lay against Mama on her bed—a pillow beneath them, and Mama’s arm pillowed beneath Ariana.

“Well,” Kendra peeled open the cover, her brow furrowing. “…Ah…hmmm…”

Ariana glanced up quizzically, but waited for her to begin.

Kendra began to sport a genuine frown. “…A is…for…”

Ariana sat up eagerly, watching the pages to see what the words could be talking about. There was an old man on the page closest to Mama’s hand—the one with the ring on it—but Ariana could not spot anything that could start with an “A.” Perhaps this was a surprise book, like the kind Al read for fun. Perhaps the a-word was on the next page over, so she snuggled further into Mama’s shoulder and listened quietly.

“A is for…”

“Er…”

A familiar voice simultaneously drew their attention, and both witches glanced to see a certain boy standing in the doorway.

“Al?” Mama looked absolutely surprised. “You’re home so soon.”

Albus smiled almost apologetically. “Well, Elphias drank something that didn’t agree with him, and his mother had to take us home. What’s that?”

Kendra shuffled aside so as to make room for all three of them. “Your sister brought home a book. We’re…” she sent a gaze to her still-excited daughter, “trying to read it together.”

Albus lilted his head at the bold, yellow cover. “I never knew you spoke German, mother. Are you teaching Ariana? Oh, this is the alphabet! There are lots of different letters that look like ours, aren’t there? They’re pronounced quite differently, though!” Al spoke so enthusiastically, but Ariana wanted to groan; now her brother would go on through the night, and the book would not be read. Gellert’s present gone to waste! What would he say if he knew she never even learned-

“A ist für alt. B ist für Baby. C ist für Cousin…”

Kendra’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “You know all these words?”

Al nodded, “Sometimes I learn languages between classes.”  


* * *

 

 Al stifled a minor yawn as he read the alphabet book to his baby sister. For the fourth time.

“…ist für sauer.” Al yawned. “T ist für…aren’t you tired yet, Ari?”

Ariana listened with wonder, still trying to remember all the words. “K” was for “Kind.” “F” was for “Farben.” “P” was for “Pfui” (which was a very funny word to remember).

She pointed to a letter. “Dots.”

Al glanced down. “That’s an ‘umlaut.’”

“For breakfast?”

“No,” he sighed, looking very much like Mama when Abe tracked dirt in the house, “an umlaut is what makes a letter sound different from the way it would usually sound.”

Ariana furrowed her brow—and seeing this, her brother sighed again.

“To say…‘a’ would sound like the ‘e’ in ‘bell.’ ‘O’ would sound like the ‘i’ in ‘girl.’ ‘U’ would sound like the ‘ou’ in ‘tour,’ and if you put an umlaut next to certain vowels-”

Ariana yawned and rubbed her fist against her eye. “Again?”

Albus shook his head and shut the book. “It’s bedtime, Ari.”

“Please?”

Al kissed her forehead, pulling up the covers. Ariana’s eyes were falling shut, but her ears still worked well enough to listen to whatever her brother had to say.

And what her brother had to say was:

“Good night, Ari.”


End file.
